Sold My Soul
by Lady Mokodane
Summary: The second he doublecrossed his lord Draco became one of the most wanted men alive.As the Darkness rises to power he is forced to arms in a war he never wanted to fight. But when the secret weapon appears he just might realize power isn't everything. DRHG
1. Chapter 1

The crack from the apparation was loud and left his ears ringing from the noise.

His gray boots hit the mud and he sunk deep into the soft ground. The earth gripped his shoes with unexpected suction and his balance was temporally lost. Oddly, it was the freezing wind from the north that helped him steady himself. He shivered against the cold and made his first step to the trees. His pants were already filthy and he had barely taken a step forward.

He could not believe he was going to get used like this. He hated it when this happened and it seemed like it was happening more and more often in the past few months.

He was supposed to be an asset, one that was treated with respect and reverence. He popped his collar to better block the harsh winds.

The night was cold and the trees seemed to lean into him as he passed. They groaned and creaked loud when he neared them. Draco fingered his wand inside his cloak. He was not afraid of the dark, but it did please him when he found one of the ominous trees rotted to the ground.

Owls and bats fought overhead for the rights to eat small scraps of animals scurrying around him. Their screeching and hissing was sharp and loud.

The sound reminded him of home.

The wind picked up again and it made his platinum locks dangle in his eyes. It was a bad time to think about it, but he really needed a haircut.

He finally found his landmark. He was instructed to follow the moon until he found the rock that resembled a castle. It was a strange sight to look for, but the stone rose and fell in such a way that it did remind him of his old school. Who would make a Hogwarts made of stone way out here?

Now he was told to wait. The guardian would find him. Or something like that. He really did not know what he was looking for. As far as he knew, he was the first to enter these woods for centuries. The stories the kids would tell in class about this place was enough to keep everyone away.

So who the hell is the guardian?

The sound was enough to make his heart freeze. It was soft at first, like a whisper in his ear. Draco's throat went dry. What kind of creature made such an awful… tortured sound? The noise turned to a wail quickly but he could not locate the source of it. He backed into a bush and the noise ended abruptly. The forest breathed quiet, as if watching every movement he made. As if the guardian was right behind him, breathing down his neck.

The screech came so fast and so close he let out a startled cry and fell forward. His boots had finally caught the earth and stuck. He turned over on his back quickly and backpedaled as far as he could away from the sound while staying in the light of the moon. The shaking of the vegetation in front of him led him for a moment to believe someone was going to walk right through it.

But that was not the case.

The bush itself turned and growled in his direction. Its movements were slow and labored, as if he did not change position often. The shuffle of leaves and branches as it grew to its full height made a shiver roll down Draco's spine.

Fog rolled out of the mouth of the beast made of leaves. His breathing was the only thing in the entire forest making a sound. Bright blue eyes opened one at a time.

They were so incredibly… human.

Like fog being lifted, he knew this beast.

Back in school the students would tell stories about the great walking bush. That he was a student just like them, but with awful taste in women. He had fallen in love with a Muggleborn that was attending Hogwarts. She had been very beautiful, but was fairly cruel. At the time, she had been considered one of the best students to walk through the gates of the old school. The story ends with her trying out a potion on the boy. She promised him, while looking into his bright blue eyes that she would be his if he drank her tea.

Immediately he changed. He went from being a Ravenclaw to a leaf. It must have been the most painful transformation to ever take place in Hogwarts. The girl panicked and let the leaf fall from the highest tower of the tower. The wind carried him the rest of the way here. Then he grew.

The beast growled again. Now that he thought about it, they were the very sounds a human makes when they have given up on the world. As per requirement for being his father's son, he had heard them often.

The animal turned and started moving slowly away from Draco. The forest seemed to move aside for him. As if it knew it were moving for the guardian to pass. Having things move for his passage made him feel slightly more at ease. It was more familiar.

He genuinely hated being the decoy. In theory, he had gotten used to it. But with the war expanding on so many fronts, protection of him was growing thin.

The great Voldemort was dead.

But so many had risen to take his place, it was safer before the Dark Lord was slain. For a while the dark side did not know it was him that had spilled so many crucial secrets. But they grew wise and released a widespread campaign against him. Every worshipper of evil was quickly made aware of what he had done.

Draco Malfoy was one of the most wanted men alive.

But true to their word he has been protected against their retribution. The Ministry labeled him a decorated hero. Because of that, he was constantly safe.

Except for when he goes out on missions.

The monster quit moving and turned its body in Draco's direction. "You should be more careful. I don't feel anything here to protect you from what is in that cabin."

The leaves fell one by one from the animal until there was nothing and it flittered into the wind. His speech did little to reassure Draco.

"Bloody sodding plant."

He reluctantly pulled his gaze up the hill. The cabin was completely dark and rested in an opening of the forest. In the light of day it probably appeared quant.

Aurors should have made themselves known to him by now. Where the hell was his support? For a moment Draco considered the fact that they were giving him over to the Darkness, that they were getting rid of him. He did require twenty-four hour protection. More than one warrior of the light had died protecting him.

He shook his head to clear those thoughts. The ministry was always going to be there for him. Hopefully. Probably.

He sighed. So here he was, alone. He had a fifty/fifty shot of being screwed.

His hair fell into his vision again and with a huff he swiped at it.

The moon light fell on the cabin and lit the tin roof with its reflection. He was too close to the dark magic inside of the little house to signal to the aurors that were hopefully nearby. He started towards the house.

And immediately wished he were dead.

"Ah, Drakey!"

Shite. Pansy. Anything but her.

He cursed the gods that hopefully watched over him. He turned slowly in her direction and prepared himself to lie. "I was just thinking...about how lovely you are. I really just wanted to see you again." He even tried his best to look sincere.

Her high-pitched laugh bounced around the dark forest. It was as awful as ever, maybe even worse.

Her hair was longer now. It was thick and brown and rolled down her body; catching the light around it. Her eyes were bright with confidence. She was still short, but wore heels she couldn't possibly move well in to adjust the height.

She never really was very practical.

There were rumors that she was captain of her master's Darkness, which is another name for army of the dark. And for someone like Pansy to be captain… means she got powerful. Or lucky. Or maybe she's just great at shagging.

"I don't think so, Drakey-Poo. It has been a while since I saw you," she looked down at her nails and busied herself with cleaning them, "when I found out you were coming here, personally, I just had to do the same thing."

He was coming here to lure out some younger black cult wizards. There were only supposed to be a few of them. His job was to get them out of the enforced cabin. What worshipper of the dark arts wouldn't jump at the chance at Mr. Malfoy himself? Then surrounding aurors would swoop in to do the dirty work. He was always just a decoy.

Of course he would take all the credit. He would take a few pictures and sign a few autographs and the public would be completely satisfied at his heroism.

But if Pansy knew he was coming that means that the Order had been fed false information. There was no other reason to explain Pansy being here. Draco hated traitors. Which he thought was rather funny because he was the most famous one in recent history.

The presence of more death eaters surrounded him and he warily took a step back. If they knew about him, they knew about the backup. There was a good chance they were dead. The feeling of being completely alone hit him in the gut.

"Looking good Pansy, just what have you been doing all these years? That is, besides sucking dark lord cock every night? Voldemort had always said you were so very good at it."

Her eyes snapped to his. "Was that supposed to piss me off? Cause you really don't want to do that." She swung her long hair over her shoulder. A deep green dress peaked out from her black robes. She always did dress to impress.

"Well, you know me Pans. I always like to do the things I shouldn't." He was stalling.

"Like being faithful, Drakey? You were never too good at that."

"Well, I had to get satisfied somewhere."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "You are a fool Draco."

"And if I had to wager, you still love me. Who is the fool now?"

She started to laugh again. "Say what you want. Your unsuspecting Aurors were stopped hours ago. They were mercilessly slain. You have no support. You have no hope."

Well fuck. She killed the Aurors? His hand was wrapped so tightly around his wand his knuckles were white. He hated it when Aurors were lost watching over him.

"How many?"

Her eyes twinkled. "Three. And I made sure my boys knew to do it slow. You should have heard them scream Draco. Once upon a time, you would have eaten it up." She licked her lips to make her point.

"I never got off on murder!" He poured as much ice into his voice as could fit.

She grinned, "Oh Draco. I think I might have missed you. Now that you have no hope you are positively delightful. Are you ready to be taken to my master now? You can't fight all of us. I have a small army ready to bring you to your knees if you don't do exactly what I say."

He laughed, "I have no fear for you, luv."

Pansy looked around her surrounding men. She shrugged. "You should. Goodbye Drakey. Scream for me," she disappeared with a bang.

Immediately he tried to apparate behind her, anywhere was better than here. No use, wards must have been setup after Pansy. He swore and tried to tally how many men were gathered.

They drew wands. But Draco was far from defenseless. It's true he didn't like to kill. He hated it really. It was considered a last resort. A last ditch effort. And this situation was most definitely a last ditch.

He quickly cast the entrail-expelling curse on the nearest death eaters. Two fell instantly to their knees, blood pouring from their orifices as his spell went to work. He used the distraction to his advantage. Draco quickly took three bottles of potions out of his cloaks and tossed them towards some gathering men. Their screams as their skin melted made a part of Draco smile that had long been dormant. The smell of their flesh was exquisite. But he was out of practice.

Pure surprise had been on his side before. Now the group gathered to kill him knew better than to underestimate him. He had taken down a few more with some spare spells, before trying again to apparate. No use.

He could only hold them off for so long before they took him down. A large man, possessed more than likely, grabbed for his arm. Draco lit him on fire before lifting his body with a flick of his wand. He callously tossed the heavyweight towards the cabin and the man slammed into the door with an audible crack.

It took upwards of three men to hold the proud Slytherin to the ground. He was a fighter. Even without magic he was a formidable opponent. Two wizards ripped his wand away from him. He felt its magic leave his body. He always felt cold without his wand in his possession. Choruses of "crucio" could be heard coming from the crowd. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to hit him.

But it never came. And he felt it in his bones why.

His disbelief was tangible. The spells were frozen in the air between him and the death eaters. They had been stopped cold. He might actually have back up after all! The remaining members started to yell. They were confused. None had ever experienced a spell that could stop that many forbiddens in one instant.

The degree and speed to which the temperature fell was more than noticeable.

He heard the panic spread through the death eaters in front of him. The spells that were trapped began to boil and change color. With an audible crack they flew back towards his opposition and knocked four down to the ground. 

He felt a source of power coming from the North. It was headed towards them fast by air, too fast if by broomstick. It was a small light at first, easily mistakable as a star or a comet. But the closer it got, the more the power pressed into Draco. This thing headed towards him stopped over seven forbiddens in the air, from miles away. There was no way it was a simple auror. It had to be something else, something powerful. His heart began to race faster. The power was choking him. He could barely recognize the death eaters around him starting a containment spell.

When the light touched down on the earth, Draco found he was slightly disappointed. He was expecting something no one had ever seen before.

But it was just some girl.

"Who the hell are you?"

She had landed between him and the death eaters. She was absolutely stunning, wild mounds of curly silver hair fell down to her shoulders. She wore the white robes of an auror but he had never seen her before.

She brought with her the cold. Wherever she stepped ice gathered around her. She was tall and from what skin Draco could see of her, she was very pale.

He thought it was his imagination at first. But after he repeatedly saw what looked like movement, he knew it was real. She had glass wings fluttering behind her. She was breathtaking.

But there was no way all that power had come from her.

"I asked you a question. If you work for the Order, you work for me. Who the hell are you?" He had not meant to sound so rude.

Eyes of intense auburn glanced over her shoulder at him before steadying in front of her. "Well, thank goodness I do not work for the Order." Her tone was bossy.

"Do you even know who I am?" All he wanted was an answer. He had gotten used to being pampered.

"I was called to save you. And yes Mr. Malfoy, I know exactly who you are." She drew her wand; he could see it was vine wood from there. What a strange wand for an Auror to use...

"Wha-" the death eaters finally made their move. The large containment spell fired off towards them.

He moaned. He was going to die.

"Consisto!" One extravagant motion later, the spells were stopped and fired back at the enemy lines. Three went down; all that was left were a few straggler death eaters and some dark warriors. He could smell all the magic in the air. He was worried Pansy would return.

She appeared by his side. He shivered and drew his cloak around him to protect him from the intense cold she brought with her. If she saw him flinch away from her, she showed no signs. "It's not over yet. I swear if I have to break another barricade to save you of all people I am going to snap your sodding neck myself." She said it in a way he had never heard anyone say it before… well, maybe once or twice.

He blinked. That voice. That hair. "Holy Merlin, Granger?" When she froze and looked at him again it all clicked into place.

"Malfoy." She nodded in his direction. He was utterly devastated.

"I can't fucking believe they sent a Gryffindor girl to save me." How the hell had she gotten this way?

"Stuff it Malfoy. You think I want to be out here risking my arse for you?" She huffed and fog rolled from her throat.

A spell hit the ground next to them and her power flared. She was off again. He could not see it, but he did hear the screams of some of the death eaters as her spells hit home. What the hell had happened to her that she was defeating death eaters by herself? Come to think of it, she had disappeared after Voldemort was defeated. What kind of training the annoying little wench go through?

"Malfoy, heads up!" He looked at her in time to see a jet of energy stream from her wand into the chest of another dark warrior. They were fierce creatures and known to be great fighters. They were often resilient to magic. But that did not stop the chest on this one to cave in. Draco ducked out of the way as his blood rained down where he had been standing moments before.

"You ready ferret?" She took flight again. Her glass wings flapped and sent her sailing much too fast in his direction. Her white robes billowed behind her.

Her hand snapped into his and they lifted into the air. Her hand was impossibly warm compared to the air around her. It was the first time he had ever flown without his broom and he absolutely hated it. "What the hell are you doing!?"

With no effort at all she pulled him behind her and hooked his arms around her neck. Her wings were like ice. Each time he came into contact with them they were so cold they burned. "Try not to choke me and keep your lard off of my wings the best you can."

It was insanely strange for him to be told such a thing. He did try to keep his weight off of the slowly beating wings, but it was hard with him being so cold. This was the first time he had come into contact with Granger since she had slapped the fire out of him.

Even with all the stress, he could not help but notice that she smelled like vanilla.

He watched as death eaters pooled out of the cabin.

He felt a shift in his unfortunate partner. The same power he had felt earlier intensified as she gathered it back inside of her. The girl he so was so tightly latched to began calling on her power. Once again, it was something he had never felt before. But he was growing tired. Every second he had to hang on the witch, felt like a lifetime. Was she drawing strength from him too?

"Vis vires frigus ego imperious, ADAVA KEDAVRA!"

The blinding light was supremely spectacular. The death eaters each felt the cold hand of death. There was now an entire square mile of forest, decimated under her wrath.

"Are… are they gone? Did we get them?" Her voice was weak. The beating of her wings had slowed against Draco's belly.

He blinked and looked around; if she was looking to eradicate the enemy, she did it. She had done it all by herself.

Holy bloody hell.

"Looks like it."

Her wings stopped all together. She was out like a light. Oh shit.

"Granger! Wake up!" The ground was coming up fast against him. He did not even have the time to cast a levitation charm on himself. He briefly saw a flash of red and a broomstick and was whisked back into the air.

"Whoooo!!! Did you see that Harry? Our girl defeated a whole damn army!"

He recognized the voice and part of him wished he had hit the ground. They were never going to let him live this down.

"That's because it's Hermione. Our very own hero! Isn't that right Malfoy? She saved your ass!"

Shit. Anything but Potty and Weasel. Shit. Shit. Shit.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a time when she had been afraid of the rain. The lightning would make her knees quake. Her heart would stop at thunder and the winds left her breathless. But it seemed like it was such a long time ago that she knew such terror; such raw emotion.

That harsh pouring water had since become comforting. When? It was all so hazy now. None of it really mattered. It was only a matter of time.

The wind from the top of Hogwarts picked up in its ferocity. From her perch sitting on the highest tower of the castle, the rain seemed to come into creation scant inches above her head. Was she able to touch its creator now? How much longer until she could?

Her dark leather heels clicked the solid brick of the obscenely tall tower as she dangled them above the earth.

Her honey brown eyes flitted over the horizon that stretched beyond her sight. The rain was coming down in torrents; the air was even full of the heavenly smell of electricity. She was not cold.

Brilliant lightning kissed the mountains in the distance and she found herself idly counting the seconds until the rumble of thunder met her ears and made the castle beneath her cower.

It was a magical storm that brewed around Hermione Granger. She created the storm that raged around Hogwarts. With barely controlled thoughts the storm's grotesque clouds descended and rolled around the mighty school. It was only a matter of charging the air around her. The weather would follow accordingly. It was muggle science.

Her eyes traveled, with help from the barely concealed moon, around the forbidden forest. The massive beasts of trees whipped and cracked noisily into each other. The leaves danced viciously against the power of the wind her storm had created.

She adjusted her drenched skirt so that the folds would quit pinching her thighs against the hard brick beneath her. She idly swung her legs back and forth, letting the _thunk_ of her Mary Jane heels make her bounce. Hermione leaned forward to look down towards the moat that surrounded the castle. She caught herself pretending she could see her reflection in the water a thousand feet below.

What right did she have to bring this storm to her school? What right did she have to display this power so close to the ones she loved? And more importantly what right did she have to actually _wield_ this power?

Well she had paid the _price_ for it.

Perhaps she wanted to show the students that she was so much more than they thought. Maybe she did want to rub it into their faces that she was Hermione _Fucking_ Granger, a ticking time bomb-- literally.

The storm returned a vengeance. The streak of lightning that slammed down an easy mile from the school lit the landscape. As it was, she vaguely heard shrieks coming from within the massive estate.

She immediately turned bitter, what right did they have to be scared of a storm when her fears were so much… more?

With the sin of pride Hermione found herself standing. Her palms ground against the walls around her when she used them for leverage. As the wind humored her, her green plaid skirt whipped against her hips. She untucked the hem of her blouse from her skirt and ripped the tie from around her neck, taking the top two buttons with it.

Hermione stretched her arms towards the heavens, opening her mouth to ravish the water that came in oceans towards her. She found herself wondering what Harry or Ron would say if they found her out in the rain like this.

All of a sudden the thrill of the storm was not enough. She wanted more. Hermione turned just enough to make sure no one had found her on the roof.

She was alone.

Barely thinking through her actions, Hermione leaned back against the winds she herself created, and fell towards the earth, her weightlessness setting her free.

------------

He hated fucking storms.

They reminded him of the long dead Voldemort.

He was sitting in the infirmary when he began feeling the impending roll of electricity in the air. It was weird; usually he knew hours before the storms came. But this time it was so unexpected. This storm came from nowhere.

He shrugged it off his thoughts and continued his dinner. It had been a while since he had been to Hogwarts. When he had received his graduation certificate, he swore to never return. If he remembered right, he told McGonagall to kiss his sweet arse. The thought made him smile, but as the winds picked up outside, that quickly faded.

Of course he had quite a bit of appreciation for that brief moment in history. At the time Voldemort had been recently slain. His allegiance with Dumbledore's Army was concrete. His protection had been blood guaranteed. His father was in Azkaban. He was _filthy_ rich.

It was a good time. Maybe a great time. The greatest time in history.

But when _that_ day happened, he didn't know what to do. What was he supposed to do? What would a hero have done? Everything spiraled out of control around the Order.

The memory caused Draco to soon lose his appetite. The metal meal tray rattled when he sat it down beside him. Splashes of his green tea hit the floor. The elves had gotten cocky over the years; he hoped they didn't squeal about his little mess to their boss. Some of them remember him.

He lay back down on the cot. His blond hair splashed on the pillow behind him. The thunder sounded off again. The rattle of his dinner told him the lightning had hit close.

He found his thoughts drifting back to that moment. It was the day after graduation and their last day at Hogwarts. After his life was so entirely secure, everything went to hell.

One of the Weasley boys had rushed the lunch room. It was the twin, Fred. He knew because he had always been able to tell them apart. He had a knack for twins and this one had been crying. He should have acted with discretion. He should have had prepared better. But he failed to contain his grief, his emotion ruined him. He had been wailing and screaming and the entire castle was at his mercy. No one said a word as he cried, but everyone knew it was bad. It had to be. It was so long ago but Draco could close his eyes and remember his voice.

"_Azkaban has fallen!"_

For a moment no one moved. The screams that came haunted his dreams.

He tasted the fear in the room. His own choked him.

Even the Slytherins were scared. The remaining members of the house had sided with the Order. It was no secret that their house was littered with the descendents of the patrons of Voldemort. For the children to choose the teachings of the school against the teachings of their Dark Lord… meant they were all targets.

Was he supposed to do something? Was he to be a leader? When he could taste his fear… what was he going to say?

But her voice rang out through the panic. She was so _eerily_ calm. So demanding. So completely in control of her emotions his envy ran wild for a moment. What right did this muggle have to do the heroes job? Was she a hero? What had she sacrificed?

He hated her.

"We will calm ourselves," she barked. Instantly the silence filled the room. Everyone sat back and just… watched her. McGonagall entered the front of the hall and joined us in watching Granger speak. Draco remembered her looking white as linen. Granger's voice rang true again. It had calmed him.

"We hold in our possession a piece of graduation parchment that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are worthy to hold our heads high," her voice echoed. "We have been trained for years to be great at one thing and one thing only. We have _not _endured this school's seven hells to simply become witches or wizards. Each and every one of us has retained that title since birth."

Draco remembered everything about her that day. He could recall her exact movements as she climbed to the table and stood so that all could see her. He can still see the fire in her eyes. She looked like a lioness.

"We conquered Hogwarts to become_ powerful_. And we are so _very_ strong. We must not cry. We may not run. Voldemort's death was a victory that may not be surmised with words. But his minions have risen and they are uncountable."

How did she know? What has she seen? What made her so damn special?

"We must be the same."

Fred's weeping rose again from the murmurs in the audience. "Mione. You… you don't even know yet. The Dementors, they… they went...they have heard of you."

The Gryffindor went white, but it was Harry and Ron whose tears fell. "So my family is dead," she closed her eyes. There was a pregnant silence, her shudder resounded like thunder through the great dining hall.

"Dementor's Kiss it was, 'Mione."

"So it was. I speak to you as family and as friends. Rise with us. Rise for good. Rise for the safety of _your_ family as I will rise for you." She looked towards the Head Mistress. Draco watched the exchange between the witches with calculative interest.

He never found out the details of the unspoken conversation, but knew the Mudblood had made a decision. He had not seen her again after that day until last night.

He did a good job of not thinking about her. Unless Harry or Ron brought up how much they missed her or how handy she would be in the latest fight or how they wished she were just …_there_.

The linen from his sheets was too stiff for comfort. He shifted again in his tiny cot. That girl from last night was so… cold. It was more than the deep freeze she brought to the air around her. It was in her eyes. But the power she possessed made him so envious. He was a pureblood. Magic was in every ounce of his body. It radiated off of him like waves. So how did some … Muggle get to be like that?

She had to have sold her soul to the bloody devil.

Fucking Granger. It pissed him off. Who did she think she was? It was disgusting for one person to be like that. The ego on her must be heavy. He never asked for her help. For someone like him to owe someone like _her_ made his skin crawl.

He was a failure to the proud Malfoy name. Even when he turned his back against the Dark Side, it was never because he had a revelation. He still believed completely in the superiority of true wizards and witches. Muggle born people that possessed magic were an abomination. They had no idea how to wield the power of the magicks. _Except for Granger…_

He had turned away from them because he was _not_ going to be a murderer. He was _not_ going to continue hurting true wizards and witches simply because they took pity on the Mudbloods.

It wasn't… it didn't… it never made him feel good. It never made him powerful. It made him dirty. And it was a lot of work he never really wanted to do anyway.

A loud crash from the storm brought his attention to the window. He rose from the bed, his muscles hurting from their misuse. This storm was unlike any he had seen in the past. This one was so unpredictable. So...wrong.

He leaned out into the rain to let it pelt his hair and shirt. His eyes were ravishing the scenery when something fast caught the corner of his eye.

He thought it was a trick at first, a girl falling from the castle. His first reaction was to grab his wand and save her in the air. But he … hesitated. And for a reason he never knew just watched her. The way her arms spread and welcomed the feeling of just… falling. Even from where he was he could see the way her skirt whipped around her thighs. Her incredibly thick brown hair lazily fell behind her, as if it were used to such things as falling.

Massive wings expanded from the girls back like the unfurling of glorious ribbons. He watched them thicken and harden and take shape until they resembled the wings of a hawk.

Her ascension back into the sky was sharp and led her by his window with a surge of speed he had hardly even seen in Quidditch.

It had to be Granger.

He immediately grabbed at his broom and was out the window. The storm be damned.

-----------------

-end.

-tbc.


	3. Chapter 3

He was soaked within moments of leaving the window. The rain was falling hard and cold against his face and hands. As he rounded one of the corners of Hogwarts, his grip slipped against the sleek polished wood of his broom. Briefly he thought of his gloves in his pack, but if he intended on keeping up with the winged she-bitch ahead of him, he had no time for those luxuries.

The rain felt like ice against his skin. It had snowed in warmer weather, he was sure of it. He gritted his teeth and dug his hand once again onto the handle of his Nimbus. The Gryffindor had to know he was following her. Massive beating wings even Draco could hear fought against the rain. _Almost there, I almost have you Granger._

But, really, he didn't.

In the time it took Draco to come to a screeching halt and almost skid clean off the broom she had turned to face him and retracted her wings completely. _Did that bitch just wink at me? _There was just a second where she was just _there_. Idle in the sky; waiting on him to make a move. Her clothes flitted about her body and danced in the wind.

They were high above the school when Hermione started to fall; the entire time never breaking eye contact with her pursuer. _Is that laughing?_ She was falling like a rock. It was instinct for him to nosedive after her. _This is going to suck._

He was not even sure he could catch her in time. _What is the bint thinking?_

And Draco was there. He reached for hand, yelled her name. He was fighting the weather for her. Why? For Harry. _Probably_. Maybe not. For who? _That bitch laughed again._

She really had been laughing. Did he think she could not save herself? Pathetic.

Bigger than before, mighty breathtaking and _powerful_ wings ejected wildly from her body and Hermione was no longer in need of saving. She slammed hard against Draco on her way back into the sky. She was in the clouds and _gone_ before she had a chance to see dire terror spread across his features.

He was not going to be able to save himself. Between the rain, the slick broom, and her hearty shove directly into his chest, Draco was headed to the ground. He wasn't even able to form a scream before he could actually_ count_ the tiles of the courtyard where he was going to land.

Yet he never saw a flash of his life pass before him.

He was falling fast. His stomach was residing in his lungs from the feel of it. He could smell the grass and the earth he was so close. He closed his eyes, quit breathing, and then… not a damn thing.

The person he was sure he hated more than Voldemort was standing right below him, laughing her ass off. Draco saw red. "You fucking cock sucking whore! When McGonagall hears the stunt you just pulled you will be shoveling shit out at Azkaban! Put me the fuck down!"

Hermione dismissed the levitation spell with a casual hand wave. Draco dropped the remaining distance and hit the grass with a loud "oomph!"

The muggle was actually doubled over and crying. "That was absolutely amazing. Malfoy I think you may have shit your pants back there!" The laughing only intensified.

It had been years since he had been made this angry. So, like a spoiled petulant child, he did the only thing he could think of. Draco shoved her angrily into the mud. And yet, despite all the grime caked onto the girl, she still kept laughing; almost hysterically.

But for some reason no matter how hard she laughed her eyes looked like she was crying. He had seen that sadness before. The eyes that never smiled. His mother had had them forever.

"I don't care what Potty says. I think you are a bitch Granger, through and through. I only came out here in this bloody fucking weather to get your sorry excuse for an ass! And you fucking try to kill me! I am going to have you on a pike for this Granger! I am a hero now, not the comic relief for you and your stupid trio!"

She made a weird noise and stood up. Mud was caked to her legs and yet a tiny part of Draco admired everything physically she had to offer. Her white blouse was soaked and highlighted her figure. Her brassiere was the only thing protecting her modesty. Her heels made her fairly tall and her skirt was slid high against her legs. But it was her wild hair that topped off her look, vicious tall and so very curly. It made her brown eyes glow in the storm. They shined like candles.

He still wanted to kill her.

"Oh my goodness, it was a joke. Get over yourself."

"Kiss my ass! You tried to kill me!"

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did!"

"If I tried to kill you, you'd be dead. So I didn't try to kill you."

"You knocked me off of my broom and then flew away. You fucking tried to kill me you bottom feeding cock whore!"

"I caught you before you hit the ground, didn't I?"

"Yes. And then you dropped me _again_."

"From barely above my head. You are obviously fine so I don't see the problem."

"You don't see the… you fucking—" he made a move for her throat but she ducked out of the way.

"Oops, looks like the ferret got complacent and is out of practice. Do you need to take a breather sweetie?"

He went for her again but she was too fast. Neither person noticed the animals watching from the walls.

"You won't be calling me sweetie when I have your larynx in my hand now will you?" She laughed out loud and danced right outside of his grasp. Stepping into his movements just a bit she managed to trip him and send him stumbling.

"O ferret boy. It seems you disappoint me. I was hoping your defeat would be a difficult and worrisome task. But it seems I am having a blast!"

"You whore!" He swiped out at him again but she glided out of the way of his arm and knocked the wind out of him with her elbow. Playfully she managed to tug at his blond hair before flipping backwards out of his range.

"Looks like somebody needs a haircut!" She started laughing again. Draco would later swear to actual steam rising from his cheeks.

The casual observer would note that the boy was pissed. But someone that knew him, knew him well, would say that he was actually having fun. _Maybe a little._

"I do _not_ need a hair cut! And for that matter it's none of your sodding business. So be still so that I can properly kill you!" The clouds finally slowed their downpour but it was still hard to hear over the water dripping onto the concrete. Draco had an idea. He pressed her, carefully predicting where she would dodge, where she would move. Reading people had always been his strong suit. _When had combat been hers? These past five years?_

It was almost time… _and now!_ He sent his Nimbus down at just the right moment. Hermione stepped back against his broom with enough force to send her toppling down over it. She slammed her head hard against the ground and Draco relished in his victory. He hunched down next to her, "That's what you get for underestimating me you fucking sow!"

She had fallen into an incredibly compromising position. Her skirt was covering her knickers by the skin of her teeth and Draco was not about to let all of his hard work go to waste. He slid his hand against her thigh and was surprised by the intense cold of her flesh. He chalked it up to her being underdressed.

An almost feral growl crawled from the throat of the great Doberman in the corner watching.

"Don't touch me Malfoy."

"Aren't laughing now are we?"

"I am warning you, don't touch me."

Ice crawled from her skin to his hand, locking it in place on her thigh. By the time Draco realized what was happening it had grown too thick for him to break free. Hermione pleasantly grabbed his wrist, smiled at him, and viciously shattered the ice and slammed him into the ground next to her.

Surprising them both she crawled on top of him, straddling his waist. He was an incredibly attractive boy, despite the fact that he was a prick. He was tall and blond. Two things she knew for a fact that she liked. But she didn't trust him. She _knew_ what the Malfoys were capable of.

There was a moment, just a moment when neither knew what to do next. The adrenaline in both parties was flowing freely and the physical attraction had been realized. Lightning crackled in the air, but it wasn't from the storm. Hermione's features started to soften.

The great dog had had enough. Barking resounded through the courtyard and it scared the girl shitless. She busted her knee scrambling to get away from Draco. Her silent cussing could barely be heard.

Draco watched as a feline he unfortunately knew rather well transformed. In an instant Head Mistress McGonagall was staring down at him, holding out her hand. He wasn't quite sure what had just happened between him and the muggle. But he knew it was … wrong. _Maybe. _He couldn't help feeling more than a little dirty by the way she was staring at him. He took her hand and stood up.

"I am sorry." He could barely hear the muggle's words. The girl who, moments before, had virtually done everything but _kick_ his ass was standing meekly in the corner of the courtyard almost bowing to a dog. _What the hell?_

The dog barked at her and the storm dissipated completely. The sun broke free of the sky and the birds started chirping. _So the Mudblood caused the storm…_

Draco watched as the animal transformed into human form. _Ah animagus… must be related to the Head Mistress…_

The first thing Draco noticed about the woman that stood in place of the dog was that she had a great braid of gray hair that bounced against her knees. She grabbed Hermione by the curls of her head and shook her. She looked exactly like the McGonagall from Hogwarts. In fact, Draco would bet his inheritance that they were twins. However, this woman was ruthless. Her face was wrinkled in the eyes, as if her normal expression was a scowl. She was hard everywhere that the Head Mistress was soft.

As she continued to yell and shake the witch, Draco was tempted to stop her.

"Do you think it's funny that the first thing you do is summon storms? Or what about how hilarious it was that you showed your wings at Hogwarts? What if someone had seen you? What would you do little lady?" The lady with the braid was pissed.

"I wasn't thinking Lady Wilhelmina. I ask forgiveness." Was she shaking?

"Forgiveness?" A resounding smack fell across Hermione's face and turned her head to the side. For the briefest of moments they had eye contact and Draco saw… _shame?_ "You deserve no forgiveness. You are a protector, a Guardian of Element and this is what you do?"

"Willie, the boy." McGonagall's voice called out to her sister. Draco, the master of reading between the lines, heard volumes. Apparently the little Gryffindor had made something of herself in the years she's been gone. And it was a secret.

"Ah, yes. Malfoy wasn't it? Dragon or something."

He didn't know why that upset him so. "It's Draco Malfoy. I will have you know I am a hero so I would appreciate it if you could get the name right."

Hermione's eyes were big. She took a startled step back, as if the woman standing before her could change into a serpent and eat her if she chose to.

The woman sneered and Draco was bombarded with memories of his godfather. It tore a bit at him and he shook it off. "A hero never says what he is. It radiates off of him. It's as obvious as their hair color and yours is pale and forgettable. And I know exactly who you are young _Malfoy._" She said his name like a curse word or like it was filth in her mouth. He wished again that he had not have lost his wand in the forest.

"Minerva," the lady barked, "are you sure you want this boy for the pet?"

"Yes. I think it would be best for both of them to start looking after each other," she turned towards Draco. "Young Malfoy, we have both noticed the strain we have had of late keeping you as… _safe_ as we would prefer. I made an oath that I would always protect you. And I am going to. Hermione has come upon a great deal of power. The cost was undeniably catastrophic."

Hermione looked miserable.

"Miss Granger is to become your bodyguard. She is going to always be near you."

Wilhelmina grabbed Hermione by her hair again and pulled her towards the blond. When she released her she tripped and stumbled almost into him. "Oh it gets better Malfoy. Pet's power, under no circumstance, is to go unchecked."

"What the hell does that mean?"

The girl in question was, surprisingly, the one to answer. "It means, Malfoy, that you have officially become the key to my lock. You are the keeper of the guardian."

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